Supporting Materials
Most interactive television classrooms are equipped with a phone and an
overhead display camera. Some classrooms contain peripherals such as fax
machines, computers, electronic mail access and videotape playback capabilities.
To determine what technologies are available in the interactive television
classrooms on the campus, contact your local ITV
support staff.
Materials to support your instructional
strategy are important to enhance the students' classroom experience.
GRAPHICS AND VISUALS
Whether you are developing
new graphics for your class or adapting existing visuals, keep the following
guidelines in mind when planning graphics for distance education.
Graphics Display
In telecommunications
teaching, graphics usually are  displayed
on a monitor. The relative dimensions of the monitor are three units high
and four units wide. Unfortunately,
graphics such as slides, transparencies, and artwork developed for use
in a traditional classroom usually need to be reformatted in order to
fit the screen properly. While you may be able to use the original graphics,
you won't be able to show them in their entirety without moving them around
under the graphics camera.
A good visual aid communicates
a single idea and is clear, readable, relevant, interesting, simple, and
accurate.
Specific recommendations:
- Use a horizontal format
for photographic slides. Otherwise, part of the image may be lost, as
a slide frame is two units high and three units wide
 .
- For printed (hard copy)
graphics, use a landscape format or the 7x9-inch center of an 8-1/2x11-inch
sheet formatted horizontally. Use paper in earth tones, light blue,
or gray with black lettering.
- Do not use overhead transparencies.
The glare from the transparency material makes the graphic unreadable.
- Because television screens are
relatively small, the space can be easily cluttered with excessive detail.
Graphics should be simple and should contain less information rather than
too much. (If in doubt, leave it out.) Detailed information may work better
in a handout.
Top of page
Word Charts
The main rule for word charts
is to keep them short. By keeping it brief, you allow the chart to support
but not overshadow you and your message.
- Limit word charts to one
topic and few words (maximum six lines of three to six words each).
- Make letters large enough
that they can be seen from 30 feet away on a 25-inch monitor. As a general
rule, lettering on an 8-1/2 x 11-inch sheet of paper should be at least
3/8-inch (30 point) and preferably 1/2 inch (48 point) high.
- Use easy-to-read, sans serif
type styles (e.g., Arial, Geneva or Helvetica). Avoid fancy fonts such
as Old Roman or Script.
- Use no more than three styles
of text: one for the title, one for the body of the copy, one for stressing
the single most important term.
- Do not use all uppercase
letters except for titles. It's easier to read text with only the first
letter capitalized.
- Use boldface type throughout for easier reading.
- Highlight no more than 10
percent of the words using techniques such as coloring, boxing, and
underlining.
Data Charts
Charts and graphs allow learners
to absorb the main idea behind the numbers. Use handouts if you need to
share tables of statistics or computer spreadsheet data. When planning
data charts:
- Don't try to graph all data
from a table in one chart. Select a subset that illustrates one point
you want to make.
- Use horizontal rather than
vertical labels for easier reading.
- Label bars, lines, and other
data directly. Keys and legends are hard to read on a monitor.
- Keep "chart junk" such as
tick marks, grids, labels, and decorations to a minimum. Emphasize the
data, not the design.
- Use a dull color such as
gray for tick marks, axes, and grids so these less important elements
will not detract from the data.
- Divide the axis into units
that are multiples of two, five, or ten for easier interpretation.
- Maintain consistent units
of measurement on the axis from chart to chart. For example, don't switch
from thousands to millions of dollars in a series of related charts.
- Begin the axes at zero or
show a break in the axis to indicate a non-zero baseline when making
comparisons.
Using Color
The main rules of using color
for interactive television graphics are be consistent and conservative.
Take care that color does not overwhelm the chart's message as too much
color is confusing and distracting. Reserve eye-catching colors for the
most important points.
- For text charts, use only
two colors. The exception is the use of a third color to highlight one
key term.
- Limit the number of colors
to no more than five, including the colors used to display the title,
axis, and drop shadow.
- Be consistent. Stick with
one color scheme throughout the presentation.
- Use light earth tones, blue,
or gray as background for your charts. These colors are easier on the
eye than white or clear and don't steal attention from the brighter,
more important information.
- Use solid colors and avoid
the patterned or textured backgrounds and colors common in computer
presentation graphics templates.
If you plan to use graphics
directly from a computer, customize a template that conforms to these
guidelines.
Top of page
Presenting Visual Aids
 It
is important to watch the monitor when presenting visual aids in the interactive
television classroom in order to be sure that the students are seeing
what you want them to see. Check that the visual is centered, focused,
legible, and not blocked by your hand, arm, or head.
Presenting your lecture notes
on the blackboard or marlite (dry marker) board may not be the best method
over ITV because you will be writing with your back to the students and
the primary camera will be focused on the board and not on you. You will
have greater difficulty watching the monitor, so you may need a room operator
to keep your work readable. You need to write with thick lines, and you
probably can't display as much written material as you might in a traditional
classroom.
Instead of using the blackboard
or a marlite board, you should use the overhead display camera (e.g.,.
Elmo) which allows you to face the students and watch the graphics monitor
more easily. Writing on the overhead display camera can be difficult initially,
but with practice, perhaps using lightly ruled paper at first, you will
be able to use this format rather than using a blackboard or a marlite
board.
Most of the other visual aids
used in the interactive video classroom are presented in the same manner
as in a traditional classroom.
Top of page
VIDEO
You can use videotapes in ITV
courses just like in a traditional classroom. It is important to have
the tapes cued up and ready to put in the playback machine. If you are
using more that one videotape, it is useful to provide the room operator
with a "run down" sheet, so he/she will know the sequence of
events. It is important to check the tapes before class to ensure they
are the correct tapes. Remember, some VCRs can only playback tapes recorded
at the "SP" mode. Check to see if your tapes are recorded at
a slower mode.
Be aware that some videotapes may be copyrighted. It is important to obtain copyright
clearance for all copyrighted materials used.
Most classrooms are equipped
with videotape recorders so the class may be taped. Please discuss this
with both the room operator and the students in the class. You
will need to provide the room operator a blank VHS tape. Keep in mind,
the operator will only be recording the site you are at, not the remote
site. All students at that location will need to sign a release form, consenting to be videotaped.
Top of page
COMPUTERS
Computer presentations and
connections are possible in most ITV classrooms with advance notification.
The rules for overheads also apply to computer presentations. Keep in
mind "aspect ratio" and the other recommendations
made for "A Good Visual."
Computer displays must be converted
into a television signal through a scan converter or by aiming a television
camera toward the computer screen. It is recommended you test your computer
presentation with the equipment you will be using prior to your class.
Contact the ITV support staff
to visit the classroom you will be using and discuss with them your equipment
needs.
HANDOUTS
Class handouts will need to
be mailed ahead of time to your distant classroom(s). You should have
a Teaching Assistant or a contact at each of the campuses you are instructing
so that person can facilitate getting handouts to the class as well as
picking up assignments from the students at that location.
Top of page
|
